The Breville Dual Boiler and the Barista Touch are both exceptional espresso machines from Breville, but they cater to very different users. The Dual Boiler is a semi-automatic machine designed for total hands-on control, featuring two separate boilers for simultaneous brewing and steaming, which appeals to coffee enthusiasts. The Barista Touch is an all-in-one automated machine with a built-in grinder and an intuitive touchscreen that prioritizes convenience and speed for the everyday user.
Here's everything you need to know to choose the right Breville machine for your home cafe.
Breville Dual Boiler
The Breville Dual Boiler is a high-performance machine built for the serious home barista who needs precision, power, and consistency. Its core feature is the dual stainless steel boiler system, which allows you to extract espresso at the perfect temperature while simultaneously steaming milk to a microfoam texture. This eliminates temperature fluctuations and wait times, replicating the workflow of a professional cafe machine.
- What it is: A professional-grade, semi-automatic espresso machine with two separate boilers for brewing and steaming.
- Key features: Dedicated boilers for brew and steam, PID temperature control for precision, over-pressure valve (OPV) for balanced extraction, heated group head for thermal stability, programmable shot controls.
- Price: About $2,000 - $2,200
- Style: Utilitarian and industrial with a brushed stainless steel finish, heavy-duty knobs, and a pressure gauge.
- Materials/Construction: Commercial-grade stainless steel construction and high-quality internal components built for durability and frequent use.
- Pros: Excellent temperature stability provides consistent espresso shots. Allows you to pull shots and steam milk at the same time, speeding up workflow for milk drinks. Highly customizable settings give you full control over your brew. Built like a tank and designed to last.
- Cons: Very expensive, especially since it does not include a grinder. Has a much larger countertop footprint. Steep learning curve, not ideal for beginners. Slower heat-up time compared to other Breville models.
The Dual Boiler is for the coffee enthusiast who enjoys the craft of making espresso and wants complete control over every variable of the brewing process.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/products/espresso/bes920.html
Breville Barista Touch
The Breville Barista Touch is designed to deliver third-wave specialty coffee with automated ease. This all-in-one machine features an intuitive color touchscreen, an integrated conical burr grinder, and an automatic steam wand. It's built for convenience, walking you through every step from grinding the beans to texturing the milk, making it incredibly simple to create a cafe-quality latte or cappuccino at home.
- What it is: An automated, all-in-one espresso machine with a touchscreen, built-in grinder, and automatic milk texturing.
- Key features: Intuitive touchscreen operation, integrated burr grinder with dose control, automatic steam wand, ThermoJet heating system with a 3-second heat-up time, customizable and saveable drink presets.
- Price: About $1,000 - $1,200
- Style: Sleek, modern, and compact with a streamlined look that fits well in contemporary kitchens.
- Materials/Construction: Brushed stainless steel exterior with a focus on polished design and user-friendly electronic components.
- Pros: Extremely user-friendly and perfect for beginners. The all-in-one design saves counter space and the cost of a separate grinder. Incredibly fast 3-second heat-up time. Automatic milk texturing consistently produces great microfoam. Customizable drink menu is easy to navigate and save.
- Cons: Less manual control compared to the Dual Boiler. Integrated grinder is good but might not satisfy experts needing finer control. The single heating system means you cannot brew and steam simultaneously. Some plastic components internally make it feel less robust than the Dual Boiler.
The Barista Touch is the perfect choice for anyone who wants consistently delicious coffee quickly, with minimal effort and learning.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/products/espresso/bes880.html
Breville Dual Boiler vs. Barista Touch Comparison
Performance & Control
This is the most significant point of difference. The Dual Boiler is built for absolute control and thermal stability. Its two PID-controlled boilers ensure that brew water is at the precise, unwavering temperature needed for perfect extraction, while the steam wand has powerful, constant pressure ready to go. You can manually adjust pre-infusion time, pressure, and shot volume for complete command over your coffee's flavor profile.
The Barista Touch favors speed and automation. Its ThermoJet heating system gets it up to temperature in just three seconds, which is a major convenience. However, this single heating system can't provide the same rock-solid stability as dual boilers, and you cannot pull a shot and steam milk at the same time. While you can adjust grind size and shot volume, the machine automates most of the process, limiting the fine-tuning that experts enjoy.
Ease of Use & Workflow
The Barista Touch wins on ease of use, no contest. Its color touchscreen guides you through selecting a drink, grinding, brewing, and steaming. The automatic steam wand is particularly noteworthy, allowing anyone to create perfectly textured milk for latte art with just a push of a button. It is a streamlined experience designed for speed and consistency with minimal user input.
The Dual Boiler has a steeper learning curve, requiring you to understand espresso theory to get the best results. You'll need to dial in your grind on a separate grinder, manage your own tamping, and manually steam your milk. The reward for this effort is unparalleled control, but the workflow is much more involved and slower than the Barista Touch.
Materials & Construction
Both machines are built with Breville's signature brushed stainless steel finish. However, the Dual Boiler feels more like a commercial machine. It is heavier, with more metal components internally and tough, tactile controls designed for constant use. It is a durable workhorse meant to last for years.
The Barista Touch is still a premium, well-built machine, but its construction is lighter and incorporates more plastic in its internal parts to support its electronic features. It is perfectly durable for typical home use but lacks the industrial-grade feel of its more expensive counterpart.
Price & Value
The Barista Touch, at around $1,000, offers terrific value. It's a complete package that includes a capable grinder and automated features that easily replace daily coffee shop runs. For most people, it's a worthy investment that delivers excellent coffee without hassle.
At nearly double the price, the Dual Boiler is a more specialized investment. When you factor in the additional cost of a high-quality grinder (another $400-$700), the total setup approaches $3,000. For a dedicated coffee hobbyist, this cost is justified by the professional-level performance and control, but for the average user, it is overkill.
Style & Footprint
The Barista Touch is sleek, compact, and designed to look great in a modern kitchen. Its integrated grinder keeps its footprint relatively small and uncluttered. It fits neatly under standard cabinets and doesn't dominate the counter.
Conversely, the Dual Boiler is a statement piece. It’s significantly larger, wider, and deeper, demanding dedicated counter space. Its aesthetic is more industrial and functional, appealing to those who want their coffee corner to look like a professional setup.
Who Each One Works Best For
While both are excellent products, they serve entirely different needs. The Breville Dual Boiler is perfect for the espresso enthusiast who sees coffee as more than just a drink, it's a hobby. This user already understands (or wants to learn) the intricacies of brewing, desires ultimate control over their shot, and values the ability to replicate professional cafe quality at home. They are not afraid to invest both time and money into their setup.
The Breville Barista Touch is ideal for the busy individual or family who loves high-quality espresso but prioritizes speed, convenience, and ease of use. This person wants the ability to have a consistently great latte or Americano with the tap of a screen, without a long learning process. It bridges the gap perfectly between super-automatic convenience and semi-automatic quality.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both of these machines are leaders in their class, but they're built for completely different people.
Choose the Dual Boiler if:
- You view espresso-making as a serious hobby and enjoy the hands-on process.
- You want to steam milk and pull shots at the same time to speed up drink creation.
- Uncompromising temperature stability and shot consistency are your top priorities.
- You already have a high-quality espresso grinder or plan to buy one separately.
- You're willing to invest more for a machine that offers professional-level control and durability.
Choose the Barista Touch if:
- You want excellent espresso drinks with minimal effort and time.
- Convenience, speed, and a simple user interface are more important than manual control.
- You're new to making espresso and want a machine that guides you.
- You have limited counter space and want an all-in-one grinder and machine combo.
- You want great value in a single package without the need for additional equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between the Dual Boiler and Barista Touch?
The main difference is control versus convenience. The Dual Boiler provides professional-level manual control over every brewing variable with two boilers for simultaneous brewing and steaming. The Barista Touch automates the process with a touchscreen and integrated grinder for fast, easy, and consistent coffee.
Do I need a separate grinder for the Dual Boiler?
Yes. The Breville Dual Boiler does not have a built-in grinder. You will need to purchase a separate, high-quality espresso grinder to use with it.
Which machine is better for beginners?
The Barista Touch is overwhelmingly better for beginners. Its guided touchscreen interface and automatic milk steaming remove the guesswork and make it incredibly easy to create great drinks from day one.
Can you brew coffee and steam milk at the same time on the Barista Touch?
No. The Barista Touch uses a single ThermoJet heating system, so you must either brew your espresso or steam your milk, but not both simultaneously.
Which machine has better temperature stability?
The Dual Boiler has superior temperature stability. Its dedicated, PID-controlled brew boiler and heated group head maintain a consistent temperature, which is crucial for high-quality espresso extraction. The Barista Touch's ThermoJet is fast but less stable.
How long do these machines take to heat up?
The Barista Touch is lightning-fast, heating up in about 3 seconds. The Dual Boiler takes significantly longer, typically around 10 to 15 minutes, to fully heat both boilers and the group head.
Is the Dual Boiler worth the extra money?
For a dedicated espresso enthusiast who wants total control and will use the features, yes. The ability to control pre-infusion, temperature, and pressure while simultaneously steaming milk is a professional setup. For most home users, the price is not justifiable, and the Barista Touch offers better overall value.
Can you save custom drink settings on both?
Yes, both machines allow for customization. However, the Barista Touch's touchscreen interface makes saving and naming custom drinks (like "My Latte") much more intuitive and user-friendly for multiple users.
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